Professor Sues Over Firing From College

October 22, 2005|By DAVID FUNKHOUSER; Courant Staff Writer

Patricia Anziano of Niantic, wife of a former Madison police chief who pleaded no contest to charges he embezzled $450,000 from his parents, has filed a lawsuit over her firing from Three Rivers Community College, charging her former employer with discrimination and seeking her job back.

Anziano, 47, who had been a full tenured professor, was fired June 6 from her job as coordinator of the school's criminal justice program. Her lawsuit, citing the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, contends that school officials treated her differently from male employees facing more serious legal issues and defamed her.

Anziano was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with her husband's case and agreed in April to accelerated rehabilitation. College officials had assured her that despite her legal issues, her job was not in jeopardy, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit names Grace S. Jones, president of Three Rivers, which is in Norwich; Marc S. Herzog, chancellor of the Connecticut community college system; and the board of trustees for community-technical colleges.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who represents the defendants, had the case moved from state Superior Court to federal court in New Haven this week.

``There are issues of federal law involved that are most appropriately decided in federal court,'' Blumenthal said. He declined to discuss the case in any detail.

Marjorie London, manager of labor relations and assistant counsel for the community college system, said, ``We don't comment on pending litigation.'' Christina Levere, Three Rivers director of public relations, said Jones would not comment on the case.

Anziano wants to get her job back, with back pay, and also wants to be paid damages for emotional distress, harm to her reputation and loss of enjoyment of life, according to her lawyer, Jacques J. Parenteau of New London.

Dennis Anziano, 57, is serving a suspended 10-year sentence and five years' probation after pleading no contest last April to one count of first-degree larceny. He had been charged with scheming to cheat his elderly parents out of $450,000 worth of cash and real estate. The judge ordered him to make full restitution to his parents.

Anziano entered the plea reluctantly. He said after his sentencing that he had been talked into pleading no contest to avoid going to jail and ruining his life and his wife's career.

``She is running out of money and probably going to lose her house,'' Parenteau said. Patricia Anziano took out a $107,000 second mortgage on her home to help pay the court-ordered restitution.

``This is a woman with 18 years of service without a single disciplinary action or criticism of her performance,'' he said.

Under accelerated rehabilitation, the fraud conspiracy charge was suspended for an 18-month probationary period, without her admitting that the facts on which the charge was based are true. After the probationary period, the charge can be dismissed and the record of arrest erased.

In January, the stress of her situation prompted Anziano to apply for a medical leave, and she told Jones she was considering the accelerated rehabilitation plea. The lawsuit says Jones told Anziano ``not to worry about anything'' and that the plea would not affect her employment.

The lawsuit alleges that college officials later interpreted her acceptance of accelerated rehabilitation as equivalent to a plea of no contest and an admission of guilt.

``Had she known that her job had been in jeopardy, she would have stood on her rights and made the state prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,'' Parenteau said.

Anziano also has filed a grievance through her union to get her job back. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for Nov. 10.

Jones wrote to Anziano in May 2005 that ``your involvement in a criminal matter prevents you from being a credible representative, not to mention being an appropriate role model for students in a criminal justice program.'' Her involvement in the case amounted to ``conduct which impairs the effective performance of your assigned responsibilities,'' the letter states.

The lawsuit contends the college held Anziano to a higher standard than men in similar situations, and says the system currently employs males who have been convicted of crimes during their employment and has hired males who have been convicted of crimes.

Anziano maintains that she was arrested to put pressure on her husband to plead to the charges filed against him, the lawsuit says. ``She was used as a tool to get her husband to plead, which is in and of itself a questionable tactic,'' Parenteau said.

Dennis Anziano is a former Middletown police lieutenant. He served as chief in Madison from 1987 until 1992, when he was fired for using a town account for personal purchases.